Hot Chocolate — Michael Turback

I think Michael Turback, author ofHot Chocolate, sums up best why I LOVE this book, and why I think anyone who loves chocolate and real-deal hot chocolate will, too:

So why on earth can't we make as decent a cup of hot chocolate as they do in Europe?

How in heaven's name have so many of us missed out on experiencing the intense flavors, the rich and satisfying texture, and the unhurried ritual of melting fine chocolate and stirring it into warm milk? Restoring the seductive liquid to its rightful place in our culture is long overdue.

Hot chocolate is at once extravagant and familiar, provoking and comforting. It demands to be sipped slowly, savored as a treat that kindles feelings of safety and innocence while it gently lifts the spirits. Each cup offers refuge from the stresses of modern life, a change of pace from jam-packed schedules.

Between these covers is the fruit of my efforts to connect readers to a tradition that is several thousand years old. Here you will find recipes inspired by ancient ritual, tradtional European classics, grandmotherly concoctions, and the imaginative inventions of preeminent pastry chefs and chocolatiers from around the world. it s my hope that no worthy hot chocolate has gone unstirred.

With Michael Turback's Hot Chocolate, we suggest you start at the 'Chocologue' and savour the in's and out's of ingredients, tools and techniques before immersing yourself with the Ancestral Hot Chocolates, European Classics, Modern Variations, Spiked and Nostalgic Hot Chocolates and ending with Hot Chocolate Pairings.

Author and food writer Michael Turback suggests adding rosebuds or cayenne, frothing with a Mexican molinillo, or adding dollops of schlagobers (Viennese whipped cream). He also includes ingredients and tools resources in Hot Chocolate, as well as a fascinating account of the history of liquid chocolates. Hot Chocolate also features 16 yummy photos.

Contributed by the world's preeminent chocolatiers, the 60 luxurious concoctions range from ancient Latin American originals and European café classics to comforting childhood treats, cocktails spiked just for adults, and imaginative modern variations for the hip chocoholic of any age.

A cup of hot chocolate is twice as rich in antioxidants as a glass of red wine. And, some would say, is just as intoxicating. Need proof? Get Hot Chocolate!

MICHAEL TURBACK was trained as a restaurateur at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration and operated Turback’s of Ithaca for nearly three decades.

He was named a Rising Star by Restaurant Hospitality Magazine, and his pioneering concepts have been recognized by the New York Times, LA Times, Gourmet, Bon Appétit, and Wine Spectator, among many others.

As an author, he has written about his hometown’s invention of the Ice Cream Sundae and commemorated the centennial of the Banana Split. He lives in the enlightened city of Ithaca, New York.